UNIVERSITY  OF 
_ ILLINOIS  ; iBR  R Y 

at  urbana  champaign. 

AGRICULTURE 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/alfalfainindiana1221wian 


irculating  cop> 


•AgricnJtmuj 


T it  . 


Purdue  University 


Agricultural  Experiment  Station 


Bulletin  No.  122.  Vol.  XIII. 
June,  1907. 


Alfalfa  in  Indiana 

I.  Results  of  Experiments  in  Late  Summer  Seeding. 
II.  Suggestions  for  Beginners  in  Alfalfa  Culture. 


Published  by  the  station: 

LAFAYETTE,  INDIANA. 
U.  S.  A. 


BOARD  OF  CONTROL. 


William  V.  Stuart,  President, 
Sylvester  Johnson, 

David  E.  Beem, 

Henry  A.  Miller, 

James  M.  Barrett, 

Charles  Downing, 

Joseph  D.  Oliver 
Charles  Major, 

Addison  C.  Harris, 


Winthrop  E.  Stone,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D., 


LaFayette,  Tippecanoe  County 
Irvington,  Marion  County 
Spencer,  Owen  County 
Montmorenci,  Tippecanoe  County 
Fort  Wayne,  Allen  County 
Greenfield,  Hancock  County 
- South  Bend,  St.  Joseph  County 
Shelbyville,  Shelby  County 
Indianapolis,  Marion  County 


President  of  the  University 


STATION  STAFF. 

Arthur  Goss,  M.  S.,  A.  C.,  Director,  Station  Chemist,  State  Chemist 


William  C-  Latta,  M.  S., 

James  Troop,  M.  S„  - 
Joseph  C.  Arthur,  D.  Sc., 

John  H.  Skinner,  B.  S., 

Alfred  T.  Wiancko,  B.  S.  A., 
Robert  A.  Craig,  D.  V.  M.,  - 
Otto  F.  Hunziker,  M.  S.  A., 
William  J.  Jones,  Jr,,  M.  S.,  A.  C., 
Martin  L.  Fisher,  B.  S.. 

Samuel  D.  Connor,  B.  S., 

Owen  C.  Haworth,  B.  S.,* ** 

Frank  D.  Kern,  B.  S-, 

George  I.  Christie,  B.  S.  A., 
Wilber  A.  Cochel,  A.  B.,  B.  S., 
Walter  P.  Kelley,  B.  S., 
Lawrence  S.  Hasselman,  B.  S-, 
Clinton  0-  Cromer,  B.  S., 

Charles  G-  Woodbury,  M.  S., 
George  W.  Spitzer,  Ph.  G., 

Edward  G.  Proulx,  B.  S.,**  - 
Roland  E.  Stone, 

Nellie  Tracy,  - 
Jessie  L.  Cowing,  - 
Charlotte  Cumberson,*** 


Consulting  Agriculturist 
Horticulturist  and  Entomologist 
Botanist 

- Animal  Husbandry 

Agriculturist 
Veterinarian 
Dairy  Husbandry 
Associate  Chemist 
Assistant  Agriculturist 
Assistant  Chemist 
Assistant  Chemist 

- Assistant  Botanist 
Associate  Agri.  Extension  Work 

Assistant  in  Animal  Husband^ 
Assistant  in  Soil  Improvement 
Assistant  Chemist 
Assistant  Agriculturist 
Assistant  Horticulturist 
Assistant  in  Dairy  Laboratory 
Assistant  Chemist 
Assistant  Botanist 
Clerk  and  Librarian 
Bookkeeper 
Stenographer 


*Chief  Deputy  State  Chemist. 

**Deputy  State  Chemist. 

***Connected  with  State  Chemist’s, Office. 


Alfalfa  in  Indiana 

By  A.  T.  Wiancko,  Agriculturist 


I.  EXPERIMENTS  IN  LATE  SUMMER  SEEDING. 

The  increasing  interest  in  alfalfa  culture  among  Indiana 
farmers  and  the  many  failures  in  attempts  to  establish  the  crop 
have  brought  a constant  stream  of  inquiries  to  the  Station  con- 
cerning time  and  methods  of  seeding.  The  common  practice  was 
to  sow  the  alfalfa  in  the  spring  of  the  year,  either  with  or  with- 
out a nurse  crop  of  oats  or  barley,  and  it  was  observed  that  the 
majority  of  the  failures  were  due  more  or  less  directly  to  the 
presence  of  large  numbers  of  spring  and  summer  weeds,  which 
gradually  crowded  and  choked  the  alfalfa  plants  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that  they  dwindled  away  to  nothing  as  the  summer  ad- 
vanced. It  also  appeared  that  in  many  cases  the  nurse  crop  was 
of  doubtful  value  as  a protection  against  weeds,  and  that  it  often 
did  positive  harm  by  shading  the  young  alfalfa  too  much.  It 
seemed  therefore,  that  the  question  to  be  answered  was  how  to 
avoid  both  weeds  and  nurse  crop. 

The  most  practical  solution  of  the  problem  seemed  to  lie  in 
first  destroying  the  weed  seeds  in  the  soil  and  then  sowing  the 
alfalfa  alone.  This  involved  late  seeding  in  order  to  give  time  to 
get  rid  of  the  weeds,  which  could  be  practically  done  only  by 
plowing  the  ground  early  and  harrowing  it  every  ten  days  or  two 
Hveeks  for  a period  of  several  weeks,  until  all  the  weed  seeds  in 
the  surface  soil  were  sprouted  and  destroyed.  By  this  method 
the  ground  might  be  expected  to  be  in  good  condition  for  seed- 
ing by  the  early  part  of  June,  and  since  it  is  not  usually  advisable 
to  take  a hay  crop  or  pasture  the  field  the  first  season,  there  ap- 
peared to  be  no  serious  objection  to  even  later  seeding  so  long  as 
sufficient  growth  to  thoroughly  establish  the  plants  could  be  se- 
cured before  winter. 

While  this  method  was  generally  conceded  to  be  safe  and 
practical,  two  objections  were  urged  against  it,  namely;  the  ex- 
tra labor  of  preparing  the  ground  for  sowing  and  the  sacrifice 
of  a year’s  crop  from  the  land.  To  avoid  these  objections,  late 
summer  seeding,  after  a small  grain  or  other  early  harvested  crop 
had  been  removed,  was  suggested.  To  determine  the  value  of 
this  suggestion  an  experiment  was  undertaken  on  the  University 
Farm  in  the  summer  of  1905.  Ground  was  prepared  in  early 
August  and  seeded  to  alfalfa  on  the  17th  day  of  the  month.  This 
seeding  was  in  every  way  satisfactory.  A good  stand  of  plants 


542 


was  secured  and  the  fall  growth  was  sufficient  to  thoroughly  es- 
tablish the  plants  and  they  passed  through  the  winter  in  good 
condition.  It  was  observed,  too,  that  weeds  were  not  nearly  so 
troublesome  as  with  spring  seeding  on  the  same  ground.  A seed- 
ing made  at  the  same  time  by  Mr.  Ellis  House  at  Bicknell,  In- 
diana, was  also  highly  satisfactory. 

After  these  encouraging  results,  it  was  determined  in  the 
summer  of  1906  to  further  test  the  practicability  of  such  late 
seeding  by  similar  experiments  in  various  parts  of  the  state.  A 
letter  stating  the  problem  and  outlining  the  plan  of  the  experi- 
ments was  sent  to  about  seventy-five  farmers  with  a request  for 
their  co-operation.  Arrangements  for  sixty-one  experiments 
were  completed  about  the  middle  of  July.  Five  pounds  of  alfalfa 
seed  to  be  sown  on  a quarter  acre  plot  was  sent  to  each  experi- 
menter with  the  understanding  that  he  would  sow  it  according  to 
instructions  and  report  the  condition  of  the  plot  before  winter 
and  again  in  April.  The  instructions  for  soil  preparation  and 
seeding  were  in  part  as  follows : 

“Any  well  drained  piece  of  fallow  or  stubble  ground  will  do 
for  the  experiment.  Prepare  the  ground  as  you  would  for  a good 
corn  crop  and  do  it  as  soon  as  possible.  If  the  ground  is  at  all 
hard  or  inclined  to  break  up  cloddy,  double  disk  it  once  or  twice 
before  plowing,  and  again  right  after.  Go  over  the  plat  with  a 
harrow  at  intervals  often  enough  to  keep  a loose  mulch  on  top 
to  preserve  moisture  for  seeding.  It  will  be  necessary  to  be  very 
careful  in  preparing  the  ground  at  this  season  of  the  year  in  or- 
der to  get  a sufficiently  moist  seed-bed.  Sow  all  the  alfalfa  seed 
we  shall  send  you  on  a.  quarter  acre  plat,  as  soon  after  the  first 
of  August  as  the  moisture  conditions  will  permit.  In  northern 
sections  the  seeding  should  in  no  case  be  delayed  later  than  Au- 
gust 10,  and  in  southern  sections  not  later  than  August  25.  Cover 
the  seed  with  a smoothing  harrow. 

The  tests  reported  were  conducted  on  57  different  farms  lo- 
cated in  42  different  counties. 

A report  covering  a list  of  questions  concerning  the  soil,  time 
of  seeding,  stand  secured,  weather  conditions,  presence  of  root 
nodules,  amount  of  fall  growth  and  general  thriftiness  of  the  plat 
was  secured  in  November,  and  another  report  concerning  win- 
ter-killing and  spring  condition  was  secured  in  the  latter  part  of 
April.  A summary  of  57  such  reports,  covering  the  principal 
points  of  interest,  is  presented  herewith: 

Analysis  of  the  Reports. 

In  studying  the  reports  herein  presented,  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  the  experiments  covered  a period  of  only  one  year  and 
that,  therefore,  too  much  dependence  should  not  be  placed  upon 
them.  Both  the  conditions  and  the  results  varied  very  widely, 


and  it  is  not  safe  to  draw  hasty  conclusions.  Both  good  and  poor 
results  were  secured  under  almost  every  combination  of  condi- 
tions, except  where  standing  water  and  ice  existed;  what  one  ex- 
perimenter found  to  be  a good  thing  to  do  another  found  to  be 
useless,  and  all  through  the  series  we  find  many  apparent  contra- 
dictions. Just  what  it  is  that  makes  the  difference  between  suc- 
cess and  failure  can  hardly  be  determined  from  these  reports,  and 
it  is  quite  evident  that  we  shall  have  to  look  further  for  the  real 
causes  that  produce  failure.  Except  in  the  case  of  drouth,  weeds 
and  standing  water,  it  does  not  matter  which  one  we  take  of  the 
factors  on  which  reports  were  received,  we  find  that 
where  one  man  failed  another  succeeded.  It  may  be  safe,  how- 
ever, to  conclude  that  since  so  many  succeeded,  the  late  summer 
seeding  in  itself  cannot  be  held  responsible  for  the  failures  to  any 
great  extent.  This  is  further  borne  out  by  the  facts  that  the 
amount  of  fall  growth  made  does  not  appear  to  bear  any  rela- 
tion to  the  condition  of  the  crop  in  the  spring,  and  that  wmie 
much  winter-killing  occurred  in  one  place  there  was  none  in  the 
next,  although  the  two  cases  appear  to  be  quite  similar. 

Concerning  the  time  of  seeding,  the  reports  show  that  good 
results  were  secured  with  various  dates  of  seeding  all  through 
the  month  of  August.  Of  three  seedings  made  in  early  Septem- 
ber ,two  gave  fair  results  and  one  poor.  Out  of  38  plots  sown 
between  August  7 and  15,  thirty  four  (90%)  gave  satisfactory 
fall  growth,  and  nineteen  (56%)  of  these  were  in  good  or  fair 
condition  at  the  end  of  April  this  spring.  Of  the  19  plots  sown 
later  than  August  15,  twelve  (63%)  gave  satisfactory  fall 
growth,  and  ten  (83%)  of  these  were  in  good  or  fair  condition 
at  the  end  of  April  this  spring.  These  data  indicate  that  the  date 
limit  for  successful  seeding  has  scarcely  been  reached  in  these 
experiments,  and  it  seems  fair  to  conclude  that  with  reasonable 
soil  and  weather  conditions  it  would  be  safe  to  delay  the  sowing 
of  alfalfa  as  late  as  the  middle  of  August,  at  least,  especially 
when  we  remember  that  in  the  fall  of  1906  the  growing  period 
was  considerably  curtailed  by  the  heavy  frosts  in  the  early  part 
of  October.  Sowing  about  the  middle  of  August  would  give  from 
four  to  six  weeks’  time  during  which  to  prepare  the  seed-bed 
in  cases  where  it  is  desired  to  sow  alfalfa  after  small  grain  or 
other  early  harvested  crops,  and  ordinarily  it  will  be  possible  to 
do  it  satisfactorily  in  this  time  in  spite  of  considerable  dry 
weather  which  often  occurs  at  this  time  of  the  year. 

Concerning  the  weather  conditions  it  may  be  said  that 
the  late  summer  and  fall  weather  was  on  the  whole  a little  better 
than  usual  as  regards  moisture  supply,  but  there  were  some  im- 
portant exceptions,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  column  of  remarks.  As 
regards  the  length  of  the  fall  growing  period,  the  conditions  were 
unfavorable  all  over  the  state  and  growth  was  checked  consid- 


Summary  of  Reports  on  Fall  and  Spring  Condition 


Name 

of 

Experimenter. 

Post  Office 
Address 

County 

Kind 

of 

Soil 

Kind  and  1 
nature  of 
subsoil 

Depth  to 
Standing 
Water 

1 

Anderson,  R.  E. 

Martinsville 

Morgan 

Sandy  loam 

Gravel  & sand 

10  to  15  ft. 

2 

Bell,  F.  D. 

Decatur 

Adams 

Sandy  clay 

Sandy  clay 

Upland 

3 

Boals,  Bert 

Shelbyville 

Shelby 

Clay 

Clay 

14  ft. 

4 

Bordner,  W.  H. 

Bristol 

Elkhart 

Sandy  loam 

Sand  & gravel 

18  to  20  ft. 

5 

Brewer,  A.  B. 

Fairmount 

Grant 

Clay  and 
clay  loam 

Clay 

16  ft. 

6 

Bronnenberg,  L.  H. 

Anderson 

Madison 

Sandy  clay 

Clay 

20  ft. 

7 

Brown,  R.  C. 

Star  City 

Pulaski 

Sandy 

Sandy 

27  ft. 

8 

Chastain,  S. 

Campbellsburg 

Washington 

Clay  loam 

Clay  & gravel 

15  to  20  ft. 

9 

Demaree,  F.  H. 

Waveland 

Montgomery 

Clay  loam 

Gravelly  clay 

12  to  14  ft. 

10 

Ensminger,  J. 

Danville 

Hendricks 

Clay  loam 

Clay 

18  ft. 

11 

Essig,  Willie 

Tipton 

Tipton 

Loam 

Hard  clay 

10  ft. 

12 

Everhart,  W.  E. 

Austin 

Scott 

Clay  loam 

Clay 

6 ft. 

13 

Fisher,  C.  F. 

Lafayette 

Tippecanoe 

Clay  and  loam 

Clay 

15  ft. 

14 

*Grimes,  G.  T. 

Pettysville 

Miami 

Sand  and 
clay  loam 

Clay 

Upland. 

15  *Harper,  J.  W. 

LaFontaine 

Wabash 

Black 

sandy  loam 

Gravelly 

15  ft. 

16 

Harrod,  C.  A. 

Austin 

Scott 

Clay 

Gravelly  clay 

10  ft. 

17 

Helms,  J.  S. 

Richmond 

Wayne 

Clay 

Clay 

20  to  25  ft. 

18 

Heilman,  R.  L. 

Hope 

Bartholomew 

Black  loam 

Clay  loam 

4 ft. 

19 

Hiett,  F.  W. 

Guilford 

Dearborn 

Black  loam 

Upland 

20 

Hill,  E.  W. 

Winchester 

Randolph 

Clay  and 
black  loam 

Clay 

4 to  8 ft. 

21 

Hornaday,  Wm. 

New  Augusta 

Marion 

Clay  and  loam 

Clay 

3 ft. 

22 

Huffman,  J.  J. 

Nappanee 

Elkhart 

Clay  and  loam 

Clay 

2 ft. 

23 

Hughel,  H. 

Anderson 

Madison 

Sandy  loam 

Clay 

4 to  5 ft. 

24 

Kinney,  Otis 

Spencer 

Owen 

Sandy  clay 

Clay 

5 ft. 

25 

Kirby,  Ben 

Bloomington 

Monroe 

Loam 

Clay 

75  ft. 

26 

Lamb,  B.  A. 

Petersburg 

Pike 

Sandy  loam 

Clay  hardpan 

90  ft. 

27 

Landrey,  J. 

Yorktown 

Delaware 

Clay  loam 

Hard  clay 

14  ft. 

28 

Ludwick,  P.  F. 

Winchester 

Randolph 

Black  loam 

Clay 

21  ft. 

29 

Matthews,  Mrs.  C. 

. Clinton 

Vermillion 

Sandy  loam 

Clay 

3 ft. 

>f  Alfalfa  Sown  in  Late  Summer,  1906. 


evioua 

Crop 

1 Date  of 

Stand 

Secured 

i Amount 

Amount 

| Late 

Presence 

Sowing 

1 of  fall 

of  winter 

Spring 

of  root 

REMARKS. 

, Alfalfa 

! growth 

killing 

1 Stand 

nodules 

Sowed  in  stand.ng  corn.  Total 

owing 

Aug. 

10 

Good 

Little 

i iailure  in  lali  due  to  dry 
weather  and  shading  ot  corn. 

1 

ass 

Aug 

11 

Good 

8 in. 

Consid- 

erable 

Medium 

Some 

1 Pastured  in  late  fall.  Water 
and  ice  damaged  the  stand. 

2 

heat 

Aug. 

13 

Good 

8 in. 

70% 

Poor 

Some 

| Mostly  killed  by  wet  weather 
i in  early  winter. 

3 

raw- 

Aug. 

9 

Good 

6 to  10  in. 

None 

Good 

A few 

1 Inoculated  part  of  plot  but 
! could  see  no  difference.  Grew 

4 

rries 

3 inches  in  March. 

aadow 

Aug. 

11 

Good 

8 to  10  in. 

75% 

Medium 

None 

Closely  pastured  in  fall. 

1 Weather  too  dry  in  early  fall. 

5 

its 

Aug. 

9 

Medium 

6 in. 

75% 

Very 

None 

Young  alfalfa  should  get  light 
j mulch  of  manure  or  straw  in 

6 

poor 

1 fall 

»tatoes 

Aug. 

13 

Good 

6 in. 

15% 

Little 

Fair 

None 

Some 

Sowed  in  standing  corn.  In- 

7 

*rn 

Aug. 

20 

Good 

6 to  8 in. 

Fair 

tend  to  sow  more.  Chickens 
I very  fond  of  alfalfa. 

8 

heat 

Aug. 

10 

Good 

12  in. 

40% 

Poor 

None 

Fall  weather  was  dry  and  hot. 

: 

9 

its 

Aug. 

11 

Good 

10  in. 

25% 

Medium 

None 

Partly  destroyed  by  standing 
water. 

10 

>ne 

Aug. 

23 

Poor 

Little 

Sowed  on  fallow  ground.  Seeds 
sprouted  but  perished  on  ac- 
; count  of  very  dry  weather. 

11 

rn 

Aug. 

16 

Poor 

None 

Total  failure  in  fall.  The  sea- 
son was  the  driest  on  record. 

12 

its 

Aug. 

25 

Medium 

2 in. 

100% 

None 

Roots  torn  out  by  heaving. 

13 

'heat 

Aug. 

14 

Good 

4 in. 

5% 

Good 

None 

1 Sowed  7 acres.  Pleased  with 
prospect. 

14 

mothy 

Aug. 

14 

Good 

9 in. 

25% 

Good 

Some 

Stand  plenty  thick  yet.  Sowed 
3 acres,  sorry  it  wasn’t  10. 

15 

isture 

Aug. 

10 

Good 

8 in. 

Little 

Good 

Some 

An  acre  of  spring  sown  alfalfa 
beside  this  plot  was  badly 
froezn  out. 

16 

uck 

Aug. 

22 

Good 

8 in. 

25% 

Fair 

Consid- 

Sowed 4 acres  Aug.  25  and  got 
good  stand.  Inoculated  seed 

17 

erable 

with  bacteria. 

its 

heat 

Aug. 

10 

Good 

8 in. 

75% 

Poor 

None 

Flood  water  and  ice  damaged 
plot  in  winter,  then  heaving 
in  spring. 

18 

Aug. 

Aug. 

9 

15 

Good 

12  in. 
8 in. 

30% 

None 

Fair 

Some 

Plot  looked  fine  in  early  spring 
about  9 inches  high  before 
April  frosts,  which  hurt  stand. 

19 

its 

Fair 

Fair 

None 

Seed  was  not  sown  thick 
enough  for  a good  stand. 
Growth  satisfactory. 

20 

3adow 

Aug. 

14 

5 in. 

Some 

Poor 

Poor 

Few 

Very  dry  fall  weather  caused 
poor  stand.  Considerable  spring 

21 

heat 

Aug. 

10 

Good 

3 to  4 in 

30% 

Medium  j 

None 

heaving. 

Some  of  the  damage  to  the 
stand  was  done  by  standing 

22 

heat 

Aug. 

9 

Good 

15  in. 

30% 

Medium 

Some 

water. 

Clipped  twice  in  September 
and  still  got  growth  of  8 to 

23 

its 

Aug. 

9 

Good 

6 in. 

50% 

Poor 

None 

10  inches  before  winter. 

Badly  frozen  in  April.  Think 
it  may  recover. 

24 

its 

Aug. 

28 

Good 

3 in. 

None 

Fair 

Some 

April  frosts  did  some  harm. 

25 

re 

Aug. 

29 

Good 

None 

Good 

None 

Clipped  once  in  fall  on  ac- 
count of  weeds.  Got  6 inches 
of  later  growth. 

26 

'tatoes  | 

Aug. 

13 

Good 

5 in. 

75% 

Poor 

None 

Stand  much  hurt  by  heaving. 

27 

Aug. 

11 

Good 

8 to  10  in. 

Extra  | 

Some  ! 

Consid- 

Alfalfa sown  on  same  ground 
in  spring  failed. 

28 

How 

Aug. 

15 

Good 

12  in. 

None 

good 

erable 

29 

Summary  of  Reports  on  Fall  and  Spring  Condition  of 


Name 

of 

Experimenter 

Post  Office 
Address 

County 

Kind 

of 

Soil 

Kind  and 
nature  of 
subsoil 

Depth  to 
Standing 
Water 

30 

McBride,  C.  E. 

Anderson 

Madison 

Black 

sandy  loam 

Clay 

15  ft. 

31 

McClain,  Henry 

Bellmore 

Parke 

Clay 

Clay 

Upland 

32 

McClure,  H.  B. 

Oxford,  Ohio 

Franklin 

Clay  loam 

Gravelly  clay 

10  ft. 

33 

McMahan,  C.  S. 

Liberty 

Union 

Clay  loam 

Very  hard  clay  15  ft. 

34 

McMahan,  J.  N. 

Liberty 

Union 

Clay 

Clay 

Upland 

35 

McQuiston,  S. 

Greentown 

Howard 

Loam 

22  ft. 

36 

Mertz,  0.  E. 

Corunna 

DeKalb 

Sandy  loam 

Gravel  & sand 

7 to  8 ft. 

37 

Mishler,  Lewis 

Collamar 

Whitley 

Sandy  loam 

Gravelly  clay 

12  to  20  ft 

38 

Moore,  C.  W. 

Yeoman 

Carroll 

Clay 

Gravelly  clay 

6 ft. 

39 

Murphy,  J.  T. 

Shelbyville 

Shelby 

Gravelly  loam 

Clay 

10  ft. 

40 

Nottingham,  C.  A. 

Muncie 

Delaware 

Clay 

Sandy  clay 

33  ft. 

41 

O’Neall,  M.  G. 

Washington 

Daviess 

Clay 

Clay 

Upland 

42 

Peek,  R.  M. 

Shoals 

Martin 

Sandy 

Clay 

30  ft. 

43 

Perry,  J.  F. 

LaOtto 

Noble 

Clay  and  loam 

Clay 

Upland 

44 

Prigg,  J.  P. 

Daleville 

Delaware 

Black 

loam  and  clay 

Clay 

4 ft. 

45 

Sallee,  0.  M. 

Salem 

Washington 

Clay  loam 

Clay 

30  ft. 

46 

Sanford,  W.  J. 

Lebanon 

Boone 

Clay 

Clay 

15  ft. 

47 

Scott,  J.  G. 

Borden 

Clark 

Loam 

Clay 

Upland 

48 

Seirgart,  C.  M.  C. 

Logansport 

Cass 

Sandy  loam 

i Gravelly 

6 to  10  ft. 

49 

Squires,  D.  C. 

Orland 

Steuben 

Clay  loam 

Clay 

60  ft. 

50 

*Stembel,  W. 

Oxford 

Benton 

Black 

sandy  loam 

Clay 

Upland 

51 

Sterrett,  C.  T. 

Terr  Haute 

;vigo 

Clay 

Clay 

12  ft. 

52 

Swaim,  O.  R. 

Marshall 

Parke 

;Clay 

Clay 

16  ft. 

53 

Vestal,  C.  P. 

Montezuma 

Parke 

Loam 

Gravelly 

35  ft. 

54 

Whisler,  G.  T. 

Chalmers 

White 

Black 

sandy  loam 

Hard  clay 

3 ft. 

55 

Woods,  W.  J. 

Kramer 

Warren 

Clay 

Gravelly  clay 

Upland 

56 

Yoke,  T.  E. 

Acton 

Johnson 

Black  loam 
and  clay 

Clay 

12  ft. 

57 

Zook,  F.  W. 

Denver 

Miami 

Clay 

Clay 

50  ft. 

*Not  in  the  regular  experiment. 


Alfalfa  Sown  in  Late  Summer,  1906— Concluded. 


Date  of 

Stand 

Amount 

Amount 

Late 

Presence 

Previous 

Sowing 

of  fall 

of  winter 

Spring 

of  root 

REMARKS. 

Crop 

Alfalfa 

Secured 

growth 

killing 

Stand 

nodules 

Clover 

Sept.  1 

Fair 

3 in. 

75% 

Poor 

Some 

Most  damage  to  stand  done 

Oats 

Aug.  11 

Good 

8 in. 

Some 

Poor 

None 

by  April  frosts  and  late  heav- 
ing. 

Oats 

Aug.  11 

Good 

G to  12  in. 

85% 

Poor 

Few 

More  damage  done  by  freezing 
than  by  heaving. 

Meadow 

Aug.  15 

Good 

8 to  10  in. 

5% 

Good 

Some 

Inoculation  with  pure  cultures 
and  with  soil  showed  no  effect. 

Fall  weather  a little  dry.Found 

Wheat 

Aug.  15 

Good 

G in. 

None 

Good 

Few 

drilling  better  than  broadcast- 
ing. Inoculation  with  soil 
showed  no  effect. 

Clover 

Sept.  10 

Medium 

3 in. 

10% 

Medium 

Some 

Fall  weather  very  dry.  Well 
pleased  with  the  experiment. 

Potatoes 

Aug.  14 

Good 

8 in. 

60% 

Poor 

Plenty 

Most  damage  to  stand  done  by 
April  frosts. 

Alfalfa 

Aug.  20 

Good 

7 in. 

None 

Good 

Some 

Fall  weather  rather  dry. 

Potatoes 

Aug.  14 

Good 

8 in. 

10% 

Fair 

Some 

Fall  weather  very  dry  at  first. 
Hurt  by  April  frosts. 

Wheat 

Aug.  11 

Good 

8 in. 

10% 

Good 

Some 

Several  neighbors  got  good  fall 
stands. 

Rape 

Aug.  11 

Medium 

8 in. 

100% 

None 

None 

Part  heaved  out,  part  killed 
by  late  frosts. 

None 

Damage  to  stand  done  by  late 

Oats 

Sept.  5 

Good 

4 in. 

20% 

Fair 

frosts.  Inoculated  seed  with 
bacteria  cultures. 

Stand  was  reduced  to  mini- 

Some 

Meadow 

Aug.  21 

Good 

12  in. 

None 

Medium 

mum  during  fall.  Weather 
rather  dry.  Some  weeds. 
Rather  dry  fall  weather.  Win- 

Some 

Potatoes 

Aug.  13 

Good 

6 in. 

75% 

Poor 

ter  and  spring  weather  very 

severe. 

Oats 

Aug.  23 

Good 

10  in. 

25% 

Poor 

Some 

1 Alfalfa  looked  well  at  begin- 
ning of  April. 

Late  fall  too  dry.  Some  weeds. 

Wheat 

Aug.  15 

Good 

9 in. 

10% 

Medium 

None 

Damage  to  stand  done  by  late 
frosts. 

Grass 

Aug.  21 

Medium 

i 4 in. 

75% 

Poor 

None 

Fall  weather  too  dry.  Plot 
damaged  by  chickens  in  fall. 

12  to  14 

Good 

Plenty 

Fall  weather  rather  dry.  April 

Truck 

Aug.  28 

Good 

Slight 

1 frosts  did  some  harm. 

in. 

Good 

Plenty 

Have  16  acres  of  alfalfa.  The 

Potatoes 

Aug.  20 

Good 

6 to  8 in. 

Slight 

greatest  plant  on  earth. 

'•and  corn 

Some 

Severe  storm  killed  many 

Wheat 

Aug.  15 

Good 

5 in. 

Slight 

Poor 

i young  plants  in  early  fall. 
Part  of  plot  in  good  condition. 

Oats 

Aug.  15 

Good 

3 in. 

75% 

Poor 

None 

Fall  weather  a little  dry  at 
first. 

Potatoes 

Aug.  30 

Good 

2 to  3 in. 

None 

Fair 

Some 

! Some  damage  done  by  late 
spring  frosts. 

None 

Clipped  Sept.  19.  Later  growth 

Clover 

Aug.  7 

Good 

Large 

30% 

Medium 

8 inches.  Some  weeds. 

Medium 

None 

i Dry  weather  and  weeds  re- 

Wheat 

Aug.  8 

Fair 

8 in. 

, 25% 

duced  stand  in  fall. 

None 

Condition  of  fall  weather  was 

Oats 

Aug.  25 

Poor 

2 in. 

| 100% 

against  making  a fair  test. 

Fall  weather  too  dry.  Sowed 

Oats 

Aug.  14 

Good 

3 to  12  in. 

50% 

Poor 

Plenty 

8 acres.  Think  it  would  have 
been  all  right  in  an  ordinary 

year. 

Timothy 

Aug.  17 

Good 

The  young  plants  were  eaten 
up  by  grasshoppers. 

Truck 

Aug.  8 

Medium 

G in. 

Slight 

Medium 

None 

1 Planning  to  sow  10  acres  more. 

30 

31 

32 

33 

34 

35 

36 

37 

38 

39 

40 

41 

42 

43 

44 

45 

46 

47 

48 

49 

50 

51 

52 

53 

54 

55 

56 

57 


548 


erably  earlier  than  usual  on  account  of  the  severe  frosts  in  the 
early  part  of  October.  The  winter  and  early  spring  were  un- 
usually severe,  and  judging  from  the  effect  on  clover,  caused  con- 
siderably more  damage  than  would  have  been  the  case  under  or- 
dinary conditions. 

Of  the  fifty-seven  reports  received,  thirty  (53%)  state  that 
the  fall  weather  was,  on  the  whole,  favorable.  In  the  other  cases 
(47%)  the  fall  weather  was  more  or  less  unfavorable  at  one  time 
or  another.  Of  the  forty-four  (77%)  who  report  good  stands, 
sixteen  (36%)  say  the  fall  weather  was  rather  too  dry,  and  in 
five  cases  very  dry.  Of  the  nine  (16%)  who  report  medium 
stands,  four  (44%)  say  the  weather  was  too  dry,  two  had  good 
weather,  two  do  not  state,  and  the  other  sowed  the  alfalfa  too 
thin.  The  four  (7%)  who  report  poor  stands  also  report  very 
dry  weather.  One  of  these  also  reports  sowing  in  standing  corn. 

Of  the  thirteen  who  report  deterioration  in  the  stand  during 
the  fall,  six  attribute  it  to  dry  weather,  two  to  weeds  and  dry 
weather  combined,  one  to  sowing  in  corn,  one  to  grasshoppers, 
one  to  a severe  storm  and  two  give  no  particular  reason  for 
deterioration. 

While  dry  weather  is  held  responsible  for  the  majority  of  the 
failures  to  get  a good  stand  or  satisfactory  fall  growth,  it  appears 
that  in  a number  of  cases  good  results  were  secured  under  very 
dry  weather  conditions. 

Concerning  winter-killing,  the  reports  do  not  show  any  re- 
lation between  the  date  o'  seeding  and  the  amount  of  winter- 
killing.  There  was  fully  as  much  winter-killing  among  the  plots 
sown  in  the  early  part  of  August  as  among  those  sown  around  the 
1st  of  September.  The  proportion  of  winter-killing,  however, 
was  alarmingly  large  and  it  appears  that  the  winter  and  eari* 
spring  weather  are  very  important  factors.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered in  this  connection  that  the  past  season  was  very  unusually 
severe  and  that  ordinarily  very  much  less  damage  might  be  ex- 
pected. 

Out  of  fifty-two  experimenters  who  reported  on  the  spring 
condition,  twenty-three  (44%)  reported  less  than  ten  per  cent, 
of  damage  by  winter-killing;  eleven  (21%)  reported  from  ten  to 
thirty  per  cent,  of  damage,  in  two  of  which  cases  the  damage  was 
largely  due  to  standing  water;  and  eighteen  (35%)  reported  over 
thirty  per  cent,  of  damage,  in  two  of  which  cases  the  damage  was 
largely  due  to  standing  water  and  ice.  Out  of  38  plots  on  clay 
and  clay  loam  soils  reported  in  spring,  eleven  (29%)  showed  no 
appreciable  winter-killing,  twenty-four  (63%)  showed  less  than 
thirty  per  cent.,  and  fourteen  (34%)  showed  over  thirty  per  cent, 
of  winter-killing.  Of  14  plots  on  sandy  and  sandy  or  gravelly 
loam  soils  reported  in  spring,  six  (43%)  showed  no  appreciable 
winter-killing,  ten  (71%)  showed  less  than  thirty  per  cent.,  and 


549 


four  (29%)  showed  over  thirty  per  cent,  of  winter-killing.  It 
will  be  seen  from  this  that  while  there  was  more  or  less  winter- 
killing  on  all  types  of  soils,  there  was  relatively  less  on  the  lighter 
soil.  The  difference,  however,  is  not  very  great,  and  some  of  the 
heaviest  clay  soils  gave  quite  satisfactory  results. 

Concerning  the  effect  of  type  of  soil  on  the  initial  stand  se- 
cured, the  reports  show  that  13  pure  clays  all  gave  good  or  fair 
stands,  38  clay  and  clay  loam  soils  gave  twenty-eight  (74%)  good 
or  fair  stands,  and  15  sandy  or  sandy  loam  soils  gave  fourteen 
(93%)  good  or  fair  stands. 

The  preceding  crop  had  no  appreciable  effect  upon  the  re- 
sults secured,  except  in  the  case  of  standing  corn.  In  3 cases 
of  sowing  in  standing  corn,  one  gave  a good  stand,  but  it 
dwindled  away  and  the  failure  was  attributed  to  dry  weather 
and  excessive  shading  by  the  corn ; one  gave  satisfactory  results, 
and  the  other  gave  a poor  stand  and  that  dwindled  away  on  ac- 
count of  dry  weather. 

Concerning  the  effect  of  special  fertilization,  the  reports 
show  that  in  12  cases  where  manure  was  used,  five  were  in  good 
condition  in  spring,  six  fair,  and  one  was  in  poor  condition.  One 
plot  where  commercial  fertilizer  alone  was  used  was  in  good  con- 
dition in  spring.  In  39  cases  where  no  special  fertilization  was 
given,  six  were  in  good  condition  in  spring,  thirteen  fair,  and 
eighteen  were  in  poor  condition.  This  shows  that  special  fertili- 
zation may  be  of  considerable  value  in  securing  satisfactory  re- 
sults. 

Concerning  trouble  with  weeds  the  reports  show  that  out 
of  the  .56  who  reported,  forty  (71%)  had  no  trobule  with  weeds, 
fifteen  (27%)  reported  a little  trouble,  and  one  reported  consid- 
erable damage  to  stand  from  weeds. 

Out  of  fifty-one  who  answered  the  question  concerning  the 
presence  of  root  nodules,  twenty-one  (41%)  reported  that  none 
could  be  found,  twenty-four  (47%)  reported  some,  and  six 
(12%)  reported  nodules  present  in  considerable  numbers.  Spe- 
cial inoculation  was  tried  by  four  of  the  experimenters.  In  one 
case  there  were  no  nodules  found.  In  two  cases  nodules  were 
found  on  both  inoculated  and  uninoculated  areas.  In  the  fourth 
case  all  the  seed  was  inoculated  and  plenty  of  nodules  were 
found.  These  observations  indicate  that  some  special  form  of 
inoculation  is  probably  necessary  in  practically  one-half  of  the 
cases  where  alfalfa  is  first  introduced. 

The  experiments  of  the  Station  will  be  continued  this  year, 
with  some  additions  and  variations.  Full  particulars  concerning 
co-operative  experiments  will  be  furnished  upon  application. 


550 


II.  SUGGESTIONS  FOR  BEGINNERS  IN 
ALFALFA  CULTURE. 

The  results  of  our  experiments  in  alfalfa  culture  up  to  the 
present  time  do  not  warrant  us  in  making  many  very  definite 
statements  concerning  the  conditions  necessary  and  the  best 
methods  of  procedure  in  order  to  establish  a satisfactory  field  of 
alfalfa.  Of  a few  things,  however,  we  are  absolutely  sure.  One 
of  these  is  that  the  land  for  alfalfa  must  be  thoroughly  drained, 
either  naturally  or  artificially,  and  that  all  lands  which  are  sub- 
ject to  overflow,  or  are  liable  to  have  standing  water  of  any  kind 
upon  them  at  any  time,  are  absolutely  unfit  for  alfalfa.  It  has 
been  demonstrated  time  and  again  that  alfalfa  cannot  exist  in  the 
presence  of  standing  water  on  or  near  the  surface  of  the  ground. 
The  usual  water  level  in  the  soil  should  not  be  higher  than  four 
feet  below  the  surface,  and  on  the  heavier  types  of  soils  good 
drainage  must  be  provided  for  all  surplus  rain  water. 

Soil  and  Fertilization. 

There  is  a great  deal  of  substantial  evidence  that  goes  to 
show  that  almost  any  type  of  soil,  from  heavy  clays  to  sandy  and 
gravelly  loams,  will  give  satisfactory  results  with  alfalfa  if  the 
drainage  is  good  and  the  soil  is  otherwise  in  good  crop  producing 
condition. 

Many  people  make  the  fatal  mistake  of  expecting  alfalfa  to 
do  well  on  soils  that  are  not  fit  to  properly  produce  any  kind  of 
a crop.  Due  consideration  must  be  given  to  the  fact  that  alfalfa 
requires  large  amounts  of  plant  food.  After  it  is  thoroughly  es- 
tablished and  properly  inoculated  with  its  nitrogen  gathering 
bacteria,  alfalfa  will  supply  itself  with  nitrogen  from  the  air,  but 
all  mineral  food  elements  must  come  from  the  soil,  and  as  the 
crop  is  naturally  a large  producer,  large  quantities  are  required. 
Only  soils  that  are  in  good  crop  producing  condition  should  be 
used  for  alfalfa. 

Wherever  some  special  fertilization  is  desired  to  hasten  de- 
velopment, stable  manure  is  one  of  the  best  things  that  can  be 
used.  Numerous  experiments  and  the  experience  of  many  farm- 
ers have  shown  that  stable  manure  not  only  helps  to  insure  a 
good  stand  and  strong  growth,  but  that  it  also  greatly  facilitates 
the  inoculating  process,  and  often  special  inoculation  is  not  neces- 
sary where  manure  is  used.  From  five  to  ten  tons  per  acre 
should  be  applied,  according  to  the  quantity  available  and  the 
probable  needs  of  the  soil.  Concerning  methods  of  applying 
manure,  the  bulk  of  the  evidence  is  in  favor  of  plowing  it  under, 
although  well  rotted  manure  may  be  advantageously  disked  into 
the  surface.  When  sufficient  manure  is  not  to  be  had  and  a com- 
mercial fertilizer  is  to  be  used,  a mixture  containing  1 to  2 per 
cent,  of  nitrogen,  6 to  8 per  cent,  of  phosphoric  acid,  and  6 to  8 


551 


per  cent,  of  potash,  applied  at  the  rate  of  three  or  four  hun- 
dred pounds  per  acre,  will  probably  give  the  best  results. 

Concerning  the  use  of  lime  for  alfalfa  on  Indiana  soils,  we 
have  not  yet  secured  sufficient  data  to  warrant  us  in  making  any 
definite  recommendations.  In  the  experiments  with  alfalfa  on 
the  University  Farm  lime  has  been  applied  at  different  times 
without  any  apparent  effect.  In  other  sections  of  the  state,  we 
have  been  able  to  learn  of  but  few  cases  where  lime  has  been 
used  for  alfalfa,  and  in  none  of  these  has  it  shown  any  important 
effect. 

The  most  satisfactory  way  to  test  the  need  of  a soil  for  lime 
is  to  make  a small  trial  application  in  a representative  portion  of 
the  field  under  suspicion  and  watch  the  results.  Applications  of 
lime  should  generally  be  made  several  months  before  the  seed  is 
sown.  A good  practice  for  spring  seeding  is  to  plow  the  lime 
under  the  fall  before.  With  our  present  knowledge  we  would 
recommend  the  use  of  about  a ton  per. acre  of  air  slaked  lime. 
Cheap  lime  for  this  purpose  can  be  secured  from  almost  any  lime  . 
kiln,  as  there  is  always  more  or  less  waste  in  the  form  of  screen- 
ings that  cannot  be  sold  as  quicklime.  Some  kiln  operators  will 
furnish  this  waste  lime  *for  the  cost  of  loading  it.  For  use  on  the 
soil  this  material  is  as  valuable  as  anything  that  can  be  secured, 
and  when  compared  with  ground  limestone  it  is  worth  practically 
twice  as  much,  since  it  f urnishes  practically  double  the  amount  of 
actual  lime. 


Soil  Preparation  and  Seeding. 

Alfalfa  cannot  be  successfully  established  on  ground  that  is 
infested  with  weed  seeds.  This  is  another  of  the  things  of  which 
we  are  absolutely  sure.  Young  alfalfa  is  very  sensitive  to  the 
presence  of  weeds,  and  there  are  very  few  cases  where  it  will  not 
be  crowded  down  and  out  sooner  or  later  if  weeds  are  permitted 
to  grow,  and  they  surely  will  grow  if  there  are  any  live  seeds 
near  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Trouble  with  weeds,  especially 
In  spring  seeding,  has  been  the  most  potent  cause  of  failure  to 
secure  satisfactory  results  with  alfalfa  in  Indiana.  Few  people 
realize  how  full  of  weed  seeds  the  ground  really  is,  even  where 
careful  cultivation  has  been  the  rule.  A corn  field,  for  example, 
may  be  perfectly  free  of  weeds  in  the  fall  after  a season  of  care- 
ful cultivation,  but  next  spring,  when  the  ground  is  either  plowed 
or  deeply  stirred  up  to  properly  prepare  it  for  the  next  crop,  a 
fresh  lot  of  weed  seeds  is  brought  near  the  surface.  With  most 
crops  these  might  not  be  particularly  noticed,  but  if  alfalfa  is 
sown  they  are  bound  to  get  in  its  way.  The  common  Foxtail  is 
by  far  the  most  troublesome  weed  that  we  have  to  deal  with  in 
this  connection.  A number  of  other  grasslike  weeds,  such  as 
“crab  grass”  and  “tickle  grass,”  are  also  frequently  heard  of  as 


552 


troublesome  to  young  alfalfa.  There  is  only  one  way  to  escape 
from  trouble  of  this  kind,  and  that  is  by  destroying  the  weeds 
before  sowing  the  alfalfa.  This  may  be  done  at  any  time  during 
the  spring  or  summer  by  harrowing  the  ground  every  week  or 
ten  days  for  a period  of  a month  or  six  weeks  after  it  has  been 
plowed  and  otherwise  fully  prepared  for  the  alfalfa.  A longer 
period  of  time  is  necessary  for  this  weed  killing  process  in  the 
spring  than  later  in  the  season,  because  germination  is  slower  in 
the  colder  soil,  and  the  weed  seeds  must  be  thoroughly  sprouted 
before  harrowing  will  destroy  them. 

A few  years  ago  most  of  our  people  who  pretended  to  know 
anything  about  alfalfa  seeding,  recommended  the  use  of  a nurse 
crop  to  keep  down  weeds,  but  many  recent  experiences  have 
shown  that  the  nurse  crop  idea  is  wrong.  The  nurse  crop  is  more 
or  less  of  a weed  in  itself,  and  both  weeds  and  nurse  crop  must 
be  avoided  by  a period  of  clean  culture  before  sowing  the  alfalfa. 

At  present  we  feel  safest  in  recommending  that  soil  prepara- 
tion for  alfalfa  seeding  be  begun  in  the  spring  of  the  year  rather 
than  in  midsummer,  because  of  the  greater  certainty  of  securing 
the  right  kind  of  a seed-bed  at  that  time.  If  the  soil  is  one  of  the 
heavier  types,  it  should  be  double  disked  (lapping  one-half)  be- 
fore plowing.  If  the  ground  has  been  fall  plowed  it  may  be  pre- 
pared in  spring  by  thorough  disking.  After  thorough  prepara- 
tion, however  accomplished,  the  seed-bed  must  be  harrowed  at 
least  three  or  four  times  at  intervals  of  about  ten  days,  to  sprout 
and  kill  weed  seeds,  until  some  time  in  June  or  July,  according 
to  the  character  of  the  season.  The  alfalfa  seed  should  then  be 
sown  alone  at  the  rate  of  twenty  pounds  per  acre.  It  may  be 
broadcasted  and  lightly  covered  with  a smoothing  harrow,  or  it 
may  be  drilled  with  a wheat  drill,  if  the  drill  is  of  a kind  that 
can  be  adjusted  to  sow  the  desired  amount  of  seed  and  set  to 
cover  the  seed  at  a reasonable  depth.  In  a loose  soil  and  a dry 
season  the  seed  may  be  covered  deeper  than  in  a heavy  soil  and 
a wet  season.  Ordinarily  covering  an  inch  deep  will  be  satisfac- 
tory. 

While  the  method  described  above  gives  the  greatest  assur- 
ance of  success,  the  experiments  herein  reported,  and  a few  ex- 
periments and  observations  in  previous  years,  indicate  that  it  is 
possible  to  get  a satisfactory  stand  of  alfalfa  on  ground  that  is 
not  prepared  for  sowing  until  after  wheat,  clover  or  other  early 
harvested  crop  has  been  removed  from  the  ground,  especially 
with  favorable  summer  and  fall  weather.  The  greatest  objection 
to  this  practice  lies  in  the  fact  that  there  may  not  be 
sufficient  moisture  to  properly  prepare  the  ground  and 
get  a sufficient  fall  growth  to  thoroughly  establish  the 
plants.  It  seems,  however,  that  wherever  it  is  important  to 
avoid  the  loss  of  a year’s  crop,  and  where  the  soil  is  in  good  con- 


553 


dition,  this  method  may  be  employed  with  reasonable  chances  of 
success.  One  point  must  always  be  kept  in  mind,  no  matter 
which  method  is  employed,  and  that  is  that  sufficient  time  and 
labor  must  be  given  to  soil  preparation  to  rid  the  surface  of  all 
weed  seeds. 

In  counting  the  cost  of  establishing  an  alfalfa  field,  we  should 
always  take  into  account  the  fact  that  this  one  soil  preparation 
and  seeding,  if  properly  accomplished,  will  be  good  for  many 
years.  If  the  soil  is  in  poor  condition  and  the  stand  imperfect, 
there  will  be  just  so  much  of  a loss  every  year  that  the  crop  occu- 
pies the  ground.  Alfalfa  should  always  be  put  in  a place  where 
it  can  be  left  for  at  least  five  or  six  years.  It  does  not  attain  its 
best  development  until  about  three  years  old,  and  it  may  be  kept 
in  good  condition  almost  indefinitely. 

Inoculation. 

Concerning  soil  inoculation  for  alfalfa,  we  can  only  say  at  the 
present  time  that  it  seems  to  be  necessary  in  about  half  of  the 
cases  where  the  crop  is  first  introduced.  It  is  quite  probable  that 
the  spread  of  alfalfa  culture  in  the  state  is  already  having  some 
effect  in  lessening  the  need  of  artificial  inoculation.  The  experi- 
ments reported  in  this  bulletin  show  that  in  many  cases  nodules 
developed  without  special  inoculation,  and  many  similar  cases 
have  come  to  our  notice  in  the  last  two  years.  It  has  often  been 
observed  that  where  manure  is  applied  the  need  of  especial  inocu- 
lation may  be  avoided.  The  so-called  pure  cultures  of  bacteria 
for  inoculation  have  not  produced  noticeable  results  in  a single 
instance  where  we  have  tried  them. 

Wherever  inoculation  is  considered  necessary,  we  would  ad- 
vise the  use  of  soil  from  a good  alfalfa  field  where  the  bacteria 
are  known  to  exist.  At  least  one  or  two  hundred  pounds  of  clean 
soil  should  be  used  per  acre,  and  if  at  all  possible  it  should  be  in- 
corporated with  the  seed. 

The  Experiment  Station  has  neither  soil  nor  other  inoculat- 
ing material  for  sale. 


Clipping. 

The  information  wTe  have  concerning  the  clipping  of  alfalfa 
during  the  first  season  is  too  contradictory  to  permit  of  making 
any  general  rule.  It  seems,  however,  that  clipping  has  sometimes 
been  overdone  and  that  young  alfalfa  should  rather  be  allowed 
to  grow  undisturbed  so  long  as  it  is  doing  well  and  does  not 
bloom.  With  early  seeding,  one  clipping  in  the  latter  part  of 
August  will  generally  be  advisable.  Otherwise  clipping  should 
only  be  practiced  when  the  growth  seems  checked,  or  the  tops  of 
the  plants  turn  yellow.  If  not  too  heavy  the  cut  material  should 


554 


be  left  on  the  ground  to  act  as  a mulch.  All  growth  after  the 
middle  of  September  should  be  allowed  to  die  down  naturally  for 
protection  to  the  roots  over  winter. 

Cutting  for  Hay. 

When  alfalfa  is  used  for  hay-making  it  should  be  mowed 
whenever  about  one  tenth  of  it  has  come  into  bloom,  regardless 
of  size.  In  ordinary  seasons  this  will  be  about  the  end  of  May, 
the  first  of  July  and  the  early  , part  of  August,  and  a good  field 
fwill  often  yield  four  cuttings. 

The  general  treatment  in  curing  the  hay  is  the  same  as  that 
for  clover,  but  great  care  must  be  exercised  in  handling  it  to 
avoid  breaking  off  and  losing  the  leaves,  which  dry  quickly  and 
are  then  very  brittle. 

Pasturing. 

Alfalfa  should  never  be  pastured  the  first  season,  and  in  many 
cases  it  will  be  best  to  use  it  for  mowing  during  the  second  season, 
in  order  that  it  may  become  thoroughly  established  before  animals 
are  allowed  to  tramp  over  it.  It  should  never  be  pastured  close- 
ly, as  close  pasturing  injures  the  crowns  of  the  plants.  Horses 
and  sheep  are  more  likely  to  do  damage  in  this  way  than  are  cat- 
tle or  hogs.  Alfalfa  makes  excellent  pasture  for  all  kinds  of  live 
stock,  and  it  is  especially  desirable  for  hogs  during  hot  weather. 
With  cattle  and  sheep  care  must  be  exercised  to  avoid  bloating. 
At  first  the  animals  should  be  turned  in  for  only  a short  time 
each  day  until  they  become  accustomed  to  it,  and  when  the  al- 
falfa is  wet,  as  after  a rain,  there  is  still  greater  need  of  care. 
It  is  wise  to  be  a little  more  careful  than  with  clover. 

Additional  Notes. 

Alfalfa  is  used  to  feed  all  kinds  of  farm  live  stock,  from 
chickens  to  horses. 

It  will  yield  from  3 to  6 tons  of  excellent  hay  per  acre  per 
season,  according  to  the  fertility  of  the  soil. 

It  is  rich  in  flesh  forming  nutrients  and  is  excellent  for 
feeding  with  corn  or  other  starchy  foods. 

It  is  more  digestible  than  red  clover  and  is  not  far  behind 
wheat  bran  in  feeding  value. 

It  is  an  excellent  soil  renovator,  gathering  nitrogen  from  the 
air,  opening  up  the  soil  and  bringing  large  quantities  of  mineral 
food  from  the  subsoil. 

The  little  information  that  we  have  upon  the  subject  indi- 
cates that  alfalfa  should  not  be  used  as  a seed  crop  in  Indiana, 
except  perhaps  in  the  last  season  before  plowung  it  up.  Seed 
production  weakens  the  plants  and  reduces  the  stand,  and  the 
seed  crop  produced  will  seldom  be  a profitable  one. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

630  7IN2B  cons 

JfSEARCH  BULLETIN  LAFAYETTE 


URBANA 


